Will be more than a one-party party – VG

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The Green Party wants to get rid of the stamp as a one-party party and become a green people’s party.

On Sunday, the National Assembly adopted a long-term strategy – an overall vision for the party’s development over the next eight years.

By the end of the current decade, the party with three representatives in the Storting must have led the way in a paradigm shift in Norwegian politics, according to the strategy.

They want a “sustainable low-emission society” and “popular support for the measures needed to solve the climate and nature crisis”.

In the previous election, they ended up with a straw below the barrier limit of four percent.

Now the MDGs want to appear as a more holistic party, with the goal of reaching out to new groups of voters.

– There is a clear desire from a united party to show more of ourselves. That means more breadth in politics, says party leader Une Bastholm.

Green paradigm

The national meeting, which is held at Quality Hotel Expo in Fornebu, is in a way rigged as a showcase for the party’s political identity.

Can it give a taste of the Greens’ paradigm shift?

It’s clear MDG’s national meeting only serves vegan meals.

It is also no surprise that you are encouraged to specify on the name tag which pronoun you want to be charged with.

Refreshments of dandelion juice, on the other hand, are the more curious feature.

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As a diversion from the long meeting sessions, plenty of time has been put into physical activity.

The delegates can, for example, choose between aerobics with the party leader, bird watching or so-called plowing with deputy leader Arild Hermstad – jogging combined with garbage collection.

Several of the delegates VG speaks to perceive MDG’s project as somewhat larger than day-to-day policy.

They identify with a green ideology – a system of ideas that puts the consideration of people and nature before short-term economic growth.

That is the reason why Une Bastholm does not agree that she leads a one-party party.

Will width out

– Climate and nature are not an individual issue. Everything intervenes in environmental policy, but it is not seen in context, says Bastholm.

Nevertheless, she acknowledges that the party has so far not succeeded in appearing as a broad enough alternative.

– I will never accept that we are a one-party party, because we have never really been. But it does not matter that I mean it. What matters is how we are perceived, she says.

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When Bastholm talks about expanding, it means showing the party’s social commitment, values ​​and system criticism.

When she is going to elaborate on this, the problem description starts with the Conservatives and the Labor Party.

– They have a very short-term policy, and are characterized by having set short-term economic goals very high, even in sectors where it does not make sense, she says.

She believes that the school and health services are to a large extent governed by efficiency requirements and systems for testing.

– Economic considerations are not goals in themselves, but are important means of achieving what is the point of politics, which is to give people an opportunity to create good lives.

Will stand in the discomfort

When Une Bastholm was out on maternity leave last autumn, it was Kristoffer Robin Haug who acted for her in the Storting.

He puts more pressure on the challenge that the political project of the MDGs is perceived as too narrow.

– It is a huge job for us as a party. To go from being a one-party party to being a broad party, he says.

– We will be invisible to people, they will not be able to recognize us, we will race down in opinion polls. It will be very uncomfortable for us as a party.

Nevertheless, he believes it is necessary for the party to stand in the unpleasant process of change, in order to eventually show the breadth of the party’s policy.

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So far, the party has succeeded in building a brand as a climate party. On the other hand, Haug fears that it sets an upper limit for how large the MDGs can be as a party.

– If we want to develop further, we must communicate in a completely different way, Haug says.

It is, as Haug sees it, decisive for whether the MDG continues to be a climate radical press party or whether it develops into a green people’s party.

Needs trust

One who has to endure a lot of rainfall is Rune Askeland from the “oil city”. He heads the committee for environment and development in Stavanger municipal council.

– I probably have a slightly different approach than many others, he says.

A total of 150,000 jobs can be linked to the oil industry according to Statistics Norway. Many of those jobs are in his municipality.

So far, our party does not have the great trust out there. We are not good enough at outlining what solutions we want. We definitely have a job to do there, says Askeland.

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He emphasizes the importance of the party not rejecting the business community. The way there is through dialogue, he believes.

– We need to know where the shoe hits. Talking to people is the alpha and omega.

At the same time, Askeland is not so impatient on behalf of his own party.

– Radical politics takes time anyway. Whether it was the right to vote for everyone, or abolish the poor fund, it took time, but then it sits.

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